Nickel Plate 587
Encyclopedia
Nickel Plate Road 587 is a USRA Light 2–8–2
steam locomotive
built in September 1918 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works
for the Lake Erie and Western Railroad
as their number 5541. In 1923 the LE&W was merged into the New York, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad
, (“Nickel Plate Road”), and allocated 587 as its new number in 1924. The locomotive is currently being restored by the Indiana Transportation Museum
.
NKP No. 587 is generally referred to as a Baldwin locomotive. However, her supporting truck and cylinders are actually from another Lima Locomotive Works (LLW) engine when the original cylinders failed. 587 is the best remaining representation of the Mikado 2-8-2 locomotive style originally designed and built as part of the World War I (WWI) rearmament program.
NKP 587 served on the NKP railroad for 37 years serving the route from Indianapolis to Michigan city via Noblesville, IN. The locomotive remained relatively unchanged from its original design and operated until March 1955 when it was retired.
In September 1955 NKP No. 587 was donated to the city of Indianapolis and put on display in Broadripple park, Indianapolis, IN. However, for reasons unknown prior to being put on display the locomotive's original tender was replaced with the larger class of tenders originally designated for the Berkshire class locomotives.
587 was originally equipped with the 16-ton, 10,000 gallon tender used behind USRA 2-8-2s, but in the 1930s, she received a larger 16RA tender used on many NKP engines. This tender carried 19 tons of coal and 16,500 gallons of water. It was identifiable by having a six-wheel truck under the coal bunker and a four-wheel truck under the water cistern.
In 1934, Lima Locomotive Works delivered 25 22RA tenders to the NKP for mikados. These tenders were nearly identical to those behind the berkshires (2-8-4) built by Lima.
In 1955, 2-8-2 #639 was shopped with a 22RA tender on which the stoker was inoperable, and the railroad switched tenders to keep the #639 running. #587 was displayed in Indianapolis's Broad Ripple Park with the larger 22RA tender in 1955. #639 was retired in 1957 and displayed
in Bloomington, IL, with 587's 16RA tender. (Jay Williams, "Indy's Nickel Plate Mikado," Railfan & Railroad Magazine, Carstens Publications, May 1989, p. 36)
A group of people called "Friends of 587" did a fesibility study and determined that the locomotive was a good project for restoration. The locomotive was then loaned by the Indianapolis Parks Department to the Indiana Transportation Museum.
From 1983-September 1988 the Indiana Transportation Museum leased a work area at the Beech Grove, IN Amtrak rail shops. During restoration the museum was surprised to find that when the welds holding the fire box doors closed (For safety purposes) were removed that there were still ashes in the firepan. This indicated that the locomotive was simply pulled from active service and stored until being donated to the city of Indianapolis.
Restoration consumed many thousands of volunteer hours and nearly $250,000 in donated money and materials. NKP No. 587 returned to active service in September 1988 by pulling an excusion train from Indianapolis to Logansport, Indiana.
In 1989, the 587 led a rare tripleheader with Norfolk and Western 611
and Norfolk & Western 1218
for a deadhead run to the Ashland NRHS Convention. The 587 led two excursions for the Convention, one of them with 1218. The 587 later teamed up with 611 for the annual Independence Limited in 1990.
In 1993, the 587 led Nickel Plate 765
on an excursion between Fort Wayne to Chicago
as well as another doubleheader with 765 as part of the NRHS Convention.
In 2003 the 587's Federal Railway Administration's (FRA) operating permit expired. This is due to FRA requirements that all boiler tubes and flues on Steam Locomotives be replaced every 15 years.
Tubes, Flues, The dry pipe, the branch lines, and the super heater have been removed.
The dry pipe was worn too thin to support the steam pressures necessary to operate the locomotive. A new dry pipe has been formed and is awaiting installation into the boiler.
The double action air pump has been removed and rebuilt and is in storage awaiting re-installation.
Several sections of the fire box have been cut away and replaced as well as a section of the rear tube sheet that was worn too thin to support the operating steam pressure. A new tube sheet section has been cut and using the heat and beat method has been molded into place. It is now in the contractor's shop to have the new holes drilled in it.
New tubes have been swedged, which is a process of reducing the diameter on one end while not cutting away any material. They have been transported to the museum in Noblesville and are currently stored until they are needed.
Riveting of the fire box is nearly complete with only the front section and several rivets in the corners needing to be replaced. This will require the rear driver of 587 to be dropped into a shallow pit to allow for the riveting to take place.
As of 2005 the ownership of NKP No. 587 was officially transferred from the Indianapolis Parks Department to the Indiana Transportation Museum.
The locomotive is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
.
USRA Light Mikado
The USRA Light Mikado was a USRA standard class of steam locomotive designed under the control of the United States Railroad Administration, the nationalized railroad system in the United States during World War I...
steam locomotive
Steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
built in September 1918 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works
Baldwin Locomotive Works
The Baldwin Locomotive Works was an American builder of railroad locomotives. It was located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, originally, and later in nearby Eddystone, Pennsylvania. Although the company was very successful as a producer of steam locomotives, its transition to the production of...
for the Lake Erie and Western Railroad
Lake Erie and Western Railroad
The Lake Erie and Western Railroad was a railroad that operated in Ohio, Indiana and Illinois.-The beginning:The Seney Syndicate linked several short railroads in Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois to form the Lake Erie and Western Railroad in 1879 and 1880...
as their number 5541. In 1923 the LE&W was merged into the New York, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad
New York, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad
The New York, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad , abbreviated NYC&St.L, was a railroad that operated in the mid-central United States. Commonly referred to as the Nickel Plate Road, the railroad served a large area, including trackage in the states of New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois...
, (“Nickel Plate Road”), and allocated 587 as its new number in 1924. The locomotive is currently being restored by the Indiana Transportation Museum
Indiana Transportation Museum
The Indiana Transportation Museum is a railroad museum located in the Forest Park neighborhood of Noblesville, Indiana...
.
NKP No. 587 is generally referred to as a Baldwin locomotive. However, her supporting truck and cylinders are actually from another Lima Locomotive Works (LLW) engine when the original cylinders failed. 587 is the best remaining representation of the Mikado 2-8-2 locomotive style originally designed and built as part of the World War I (WWI) rearmament program.
History
NKP No. 587 was originally built for the Lake Erie & Western Railroad and originally numbered 5541. When LE&W was bought by Nickel Plate Road in 1922 the NKP spent the next 2 years consolidating and standardizing the locomotive number system. In 1924 LE&W 5541 was renumbered as NKP 587.NKP 587 served on the NKP railroad for 37 years serving the route from Indianapolis to Michigan city via Noblesville, IN. The locomotive remained relatively unchanged from its original design and operated until March 1955 when it was retired.
In September 1955 NKP No. 587 was donated to the city of Indianapolis and put on display in Broadripple park, Indianapolis, IN. However, for reasons unknown prior to being put on display the locomotive's original tender was replaced with the larger class of tenders originally designated for the Berkshire class locomotives.
587 was originally equipped with the 16-ton, 10,000 gallon tender used behind USRA 2-8-2s, but in the 1930s, she received a larger 16RA tender used on many NKP engines. This tender carried 19 tons of coal and 16,500 gallons of water. It was identifiable by having a six-wheel truck under the coal bunker and a four-wheel truck under the water cistern.
In 1934, Lima Locomotive Works delivered 25 22RA tenders to the NKP for mikados. These tenders were nearly identical to those behind the berkshires (2-8-4) built by Lima.
In 1955, 2-8-2 #639 was shopped with a 22RA tender on which the stoker was inoperable, and the railroad switched tenders to keep the #639 running. #587 was displayed in Indianapolis's Broad Ripple Park with the larger 22RA tender in 1955. #639 was retired in 1957 and displayed
in Bloomington, IL, with 587's 16RA tender. (Jay Williams, "Indy's Nickel Plate Mikado," Railfan & Railroad Magazine, Carstens Publications, May 1989, p. 36)
1955-1983
NKP No. 587 remained in Broadripple park until 1983. At that time the city of Indianapolis was interested in building a new public library in the park, but the only available location was where the 587 was displayed.A group of people called "Friends of 587" did a fesibility study and determined that the locomotive was a good project for restoration. The locomotive was then loaned by the Indianapolis Parks Department to the Indiana Transportation Museum.
From 1983-September 1988 the Indiana Transportation Museum leased a work area at the Beech Grove, IN Amtrak rail shops. During restoration the museum was surprised to find that when the welds holding the fire box doors closed (For safety purposes) were removed that there were still ashes in the firepan. This indicated that the locomotive was simply pulled from active service and stored until being donated to the city of Indianapolis.
Restoration consumed many thousands of volunteer hours and nearly $250,000 in donated money and materials. NKP No. 587 returned to active service in September 1988 by pulling an excusion train from Indianapolis to Logansport, Indiana.
1988-2003
NKP No. 587 was operated by the Indiana Transportation Museum and is considered its crown jewel. It was used primarily to pull the museum's fair train from Fishers, IN to the Indiana State Fair in Indianapolis, IN and other special events.In 1989, the 587 led a rare tripleheader with Norfolk and Western 611
Norfolk and Western 611
Norfolk and Western Railway's J class steam locomotives were a class of 4-8-4 locomotives built by the Norfolk and Western Railway's East End Shops in Roanoke, Virginia, between 1941 and 1950 Norfolk and Western Railway. The first batch, numbered 600 to 604, were built in 1941–42 and were delivered...
and Norfolk & Western 1218
Norfolk & Western 1218
Norfolk & Western 1218 is a steam locomotive that at one time was the strongest-pulling operational steam locomotive in the world. It is a four-cylinder simple articulated locomotive with a 2-6-6-4 wheel arrangement. The Norfolk & Western Railway built it in 1943 at its Roanoke Shops in Roanoke,...
for a deadhead run to the Ashland NRHS Convention. The 587 led two excursions for the Convention, one of them with 1218. The 587 later teamed up with 611 for the annual Independence Limited in 1990.
In 1993, the 587 led Nickel Plate 765
Nickel Plate 765
Nickel Plate Road 765 is a 2-8-4 Berkshire steam locomotive that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.-Original career:The 765 was first assigned to Bellevue, Ohio, where it was used primarily on the Nickel Plate's fast freight trains. After the war, she worked primarily out of a...
on an excursion between Fort Wayne to Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
as well as another doubleheader with 765 as part of the NRHS Convention.
In 2003 the 587's Federal Railway Administration's (FRA) operating permit expired. This is due to FRA requirements that all boiler tubes and flues on Steam Locomotives be replaced every 15 years.
Second Restoration
Currently NKP 587 is undergoing her second restoration and dependent on funding and available volunteer efforts, the museum hopes to have her operational by early 2012.Tubes, Flues, The dry pipe, the branch lines, and the super heater have been removed.
The dry pipe was worn too thin to support the steam pressures necessary to operate the locomotive. A new dry pipe has been formed and is awaiting installation into the boiler.
The double action air pump has been removed and rebuilt and is in storage awaiting re-installation.
Several sections of the fire box have been cut away and replaced as well as a section of the rear tube sheet that was worn too thin to support the operating steam pressure. A new tube sheet section has been cut and using the heat and beat method has been molded into place. It is now in the contractor's shop to have the new holes drilled in it.
New tubes have been swedged, which is a process of reducing the diameter on one end while not cutting away any material. They have been transported to the museum in Noblesville and are currently stored until they are needed.
Riveting of the fire box is nearly complete with only the front section and several rivets in the corners needing to be replaced. This will require the rear driver of 587 to be dropped into a shallow pit to allow for the riveting to take place.
As of 2005 the ownership of NKP No. 587 was officially transferred from the Indianapolis Parks Department to the Indiana Transportation Museum.
The locomotive is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.